American Dinner
by DJ Dubois
Summary: When Ego looks for something new for Thanksgiving, Mika goes to her family for ideas. How will Remy and Collette assist with this? R and R! xover with Smallville and a teensy bit of Gabrielle--as the narrator
1. Ego's Challenge

American Dinner (Dubois Chronicles 2

American Dinner (Dubois Chronicles 2.119)

DJ Dubois

May 2008

Notes Part 1: Bracketed quotes ( ) are translated from the French. This story is a follow up to the "Apprentice". Thanks to everyone who read that one.

Notes Part 2: Gabrielle is from "Xena Warrior Princess" which belongs to StudiosUSA and MCA. The characters from Smallville belong to DC and the CW. The characters from Ratatouille belong to Disney and Pixar. All others belong to me and are fictitious. Please send comments to .

Introduction

_Gabrielle, Bard Queen of the Amazons, writes…._

_As seen in the _Apprentice _scroll, Mika Montoya created a new life for herself and Misty in Paris. With the help of her new friends especially her mentor, Remy, she quickly engrained herself into their efforts and the city's cooking scene._

_As the weather turned cold once more, the group turned their attention to the American "Thanksgiving" feast. Apparently, there was a demand for it in Paris._

_Leave it to Mika and Remy to do the creative thing….._

Chapter 1 Paris: La Ratatouille—November 1, 2009

Another fall night descended on the city of lights; its chill and the light of the full harvest moon enticing her citizens out onto the streets for great meals and treats. After a full and busy day of work, they were all ready to let their hair down.

In the center of this playful hustle and bustle, La Ratatouille did not have an available seat in the house. As her regular clientele waited impatiently to sample the resident geniuses' art outside, others filled their palates in the packed dining room. Linguini and his crack wait staff hustled _sans skates _to make sure that everyone's needs were met. Samantha Ross played a unique blend of Brahms, Mozart and Beethoven on her violin in the corner.

All in all, it was a typical night at the newly-reappointed five star café…..

As one could imagine, the kitchen bustled along to its own almost insane tune. In the midst of this concerted effort, Remy the Rat quickly yet efficiently tossed a few shallots into a large crème pot. _This can't go bad. They all seem to want the soup tonight. Great! _He gave it a quick stir before rushing over to the pork dish cooling on the rack one counter away.

"Relax, Remy, I have it," Mika reassured him.

He nodded at the Latino chef, marveling in how she had grown as a human and a chef over the time she'd been there. Besides stealing the criticisms of even the most acidic critics, she was an inventive, charming and funny colleague. And that wasn't counting her mutant ability to talk with animals.

Through her, he communicated effectively with Collette, Linguini and Ego for the first time.

"_Mon Chef Petit, Le Soupe! Merde!" _Collette reminded him.

He rolled his eyes but scampered back over to his first masterpiece. He jumped onto the stove's dial, turning down the heat. He shook his head.

"Bread is up! Let's go! Customers are waiting!" Collette barked at the crew.

Mika smirked even as she kept chopping away on the herbs in front of herself. _Collette's in fine form tonight. It's definitely one of those nights! _She quickly seasoned a rack of lamb before giving it a brush of olive oil and sticking it in the oven. Then it was onto a chicken for the next five dishes.

It definitely was one of those nights…..

Two hours later

After all of the customers had cleared out, Anton Ego waited patiently for the staff to finish their activities before joining him for their nightly chat at his corner table. Not for the last time was he glad he had taken Lex Luthor's assistance to hire the additional wait staff and expand the café's seating area. _Alexandre's insight has been singularly precise on all fronts._

"We saved the vanilla raspberry cake for tonight, _Monsieur Ego_," Mika pointed out. "Hope it's okay."

"Knowing your skills, my Dear, I'm sure it will be exquisite," the owner assured her before shifting back to French, "Please sit and relax. You've all had a very busy and successful night."

"Successful? Ha! We ran behind all night," Collette lamented while rubbing her forehead.

"Give yourself a break," Linguini assured her. "Everyone was happy out here."

"Credit Sam with the music which soothes the savage beast," Mika noted while drinking from her coffee.

"Not to mention your _soufflé_ does the same, Mika. Don't give me all of the credit here," Samantha countered.

Remy eyed his colleagues carefully. Granted, they worked well under pressure but they needed something new. Every two months, he suggested a new dish to throw into the mix. Lately, things had been stale. "Mika, what about the new thing again?"

Mika put her hand up to the others. "Just a minute. Remy's talking to me." She looked at him. "Sorry. What was that again?"

"The turkey idea. Tell them," Remy insisted.

Mika patted her tiny mentor on the head in appreciation before continuing, "Remy and I were talking about Thanksgiving. He thinks we should try it with some twists here."

Ego sipped on his coffee thoughtfully while they all mulled the idea over. "I am sure the idea has some merit. What did you have in mind?"

Before she could answer, Linguini pointed out, "This isn't America though. We don't have Thanksgiving."

Remy slapped his paw over his face and squeaked in protest at his friend.

"What was that, _mon Chef_?" Collette asked.

"He's saying it would be a unique touch," Mika translated.

"Too bad you can't have your uncle make that maple turkey of his. That was great!" Sam remembered.

"That was Great-Grandma Dubois' recipe." Mika sighed with contentment. "I wish I could've met her. From what Mom tells me, she was some woman."

Collette tapped her finger on the table while laying out some possible scenarios in her mind. "Michelle, perhaps that might work. Your uncle could cook for us at the London house, no? We could do one of your American style parties—what do you call them? When everyone brings something?"

"It's a potluck," Sam informed her. "Comes from the idea that what the guests find in the pot is pure luck."

Collette nodded. _"Oui." _"Perhaps a julienne bean casserole or small potato cakes?"

"Not to mention homemade cranberry sauce and stuffing. Got to have those," Sam chimed in.

Mika's mouth watered just thinking about the dish. "And one of Auntie's pies!" Seeing everyone staring at her in surprise, she blushed. "Sorry. Thanksgiving in our family is great. I was having a creative experience."

Remy rubbed her arm supportively.

"I guess Dad would be good with that," Linguini added.

Ego fixed his glasses and replied dourly, "I concur. Your inspirations and artistry make you a splendid cook, Michelle. I suggest you contact your family and see if we can arrange the dinner Collette suggested. For this, I do not mind closing the café for a couple of days." He checked his pocket watch. "It is getting late however. Samantha and Michelle, I would be delighted to see you home."

"_Merci, Monsieur," _Sam accepted for them both.

"See you all tomorrow," Mika concluded before following the others out.

Collette stood up next. "Shall we be getting home, _mon Garçon?_ We have business of our own to discuss, no?"

Linguini blushed, thinking of his girlfriend's "negotiations". "Coming, Little Chef?"

Remy shook his head and skittered out the door. He had business to discuss with the Colony first.

"He will join us later, _mon Cher. _Now come. The night sings and we must heed its call," she advised before leading him out to her motorcycle.


	2. Mika and Remy scrounge for ideas

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Mika's Apartment—twenty minutes later

Mika curled up in the bean bag chair and reclined in its softness. The proposal still seemed troubling to her. _A special Thanksgiving? So many possibilities!_

"So ask Her Highness or Mr. Scary and be done with it," Misty piped in from the side.

The owner rubbed her companion's head affectionately. "There's an idea!"

"You don't say? Remember whose it was."

Mika rolled her eyes at the dog. _As if I needed a reminder? Yeah right. _She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Uncle Dave?"

"Hey, Sunshine, I was just thinking of you. How goes the cooking circuit?" Dave asked over the link. "Isn't it a little late for you?"

She shook her head. "Tomorrow's my day off. Umm, I was wondering if we could talk. Mr. Ego and the others wanted some ideas for Thanksgiving recipes. Think Auntie would be up to hosting a potluck at the manor?"

"Perhaps. You handling the cooking for our end?" he wondered.

"Not on everything. The folks at the café want to try Great Grandma's maple turkey," she informed him.

"Ah, so we have a Thanksgiving motif. That works."

"And maybe Auntie Angie can throw a pie in? Sorry, you know how I love her cherry rhubarb," she supposed.

"I'll have to talk with her. Ricky's keeping her plenty busy right now. Say, Mika, if you don't have plans, how about coming for a visit? Your Mom and Dad would love to see you," he offered.

"I'd love that. Can you give Misty and me an hour and then open the portal for us?" she requested.

"Consider it done. See you in a few, Lead Foot," he concluded.

_The Uncle always knows what a girl wants. _She smirked while heading off to pack.

The Colony

Even as Mika prepped to head across the Pond, Remy skittered through the sewers and cisterns to get back to the colony. In seemingly no time at all, he squeezed through the entry hole into the bustling hive of rat activity.

"Hi ya, Son! How's business?" Django wondered while waddling up to him.

"Never better. In fact, Ego wants us to come up with some new ideas," Remy answered. "Nothing too dangerous though."

"Good. How about that girl? The one that talks to you? Is she in on this?"

Remy shrugged. "Yeah I guess. She's going to talk to her family about it. Apparently there's some American holiday called Thanksgiving?"

Django nodded. "Yeah. I've overheard some tourists talkin' about it. Some deal about a turkey and being thankful for your blessings. Some crap like that. Humans don't get it. If you stop to be thankful, you'll lose everything!"

"Imagine that," Remy supposed.

The father rat narrowed his eyes. "Look, Remy, I know you think everything's great right now. Maybe it is. I still want you to keep your eyes open. Got it?"

"Always do, Dad. I always do," Remy promised. "Mika's not going to do anything stupid. Trust me."

"Fine. Let's see then what the kid can do. Meantime, how about hanging around for a while? Emile will be back soon and he'd like to see you," Django offered.

Remy nodded, feeling glad for the invitation to bond with his family……


	3. Mika's visit home

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Tucson—New Talon

Lex reviewed the stock portfolio for La Ratatouille with interest. As with the other partnerships he had with the Community, this one had flourished beyond his wildest expectations. Great reviews continuously flowed in. The expansion meant even more customers. And then there was the reclaimed fifth star…a mark not achieved since Gusteau himself had accomplished it before his death. _Nice guys! Way to go! _

"Relax, Lex, it's okay," a familiar voice advised. "The café's great. We just finished an hour ago for the evening."

He smirked as he saw Mika standing there with a cappuccino in her hand. "Good to know. Take a seat. How's it going?"

"Swamped. What else is new?" she supposed while stifling a yawn. "Sorry. It was a long night. I haven't been to sleep yet. Sam and Pete say hello by the way." She gulped from her cup. "I was hoping to have dinner with you, Uncle Dave, Auntie Angie, Clark, Lana, Chloe and the parents tonight if that's okay?"

"Of course. Who am I to turn down a partner who drops in from Paris? Chloe will be thrilled to see you of course. Meantime, why don't you sneak across the street and talk with your mother?"

he suggested.

"I'm on my way. By the way, this won't be a totally pleasure meal. I want to run something off of you for the café: a holiday motif," she noted.

"Okay." He arched his brow and smiled. "I love your inspiration, Mika. This is great."

"As Uncle Dave says, it's a team effort. This is going to be that kind of a deal." She stood up and kept going, "I'll see Mom and then head home for some sleep. Misty needs to be taken out in a bit anyhow."

Lex looked over across the room to see Dave tip a cup at him. He returned the salute with one of his own. _This is going to be some dinner!_

Luthor Hacienda—5:45 PM MDT

Lex hung up the phone with Ego after a very satisfying conversation. While he knew better than to reveal that Mika was actually there, Lex wanted to get some coming attractions as to what Mika would be talking about with them all. _A Thanksgiving potluck approach. Intriguing. _He rubbed his chin.

"Finally off the phone, Luthor?" Chloe supposed from the library's doorway.

"That was Anton Ego. I wanted to get some details about Mika's pitch to us tonight over dinner," he informed her.

That cryptic clue definitely intrigued her Inner Reporter. "Oh _really_? Do tell."

"Now, now, you'll hear in a few minutes, Chloe. Patience is a virtue," he jabbed.

"So is the ability to sleep on the couch."

"Let's say the surprise is worth it. Let Mika have her moment. I'll say this—it's worthy of one of her uncle's or my mother's plans. Come on; let's join the others for dinner," he clarified ever so slightly while taking her hand.

"Okay. I'll hold you to that," she conceded.

"You do that," he agreed while giving her a kiss. "Let's see the others."

An hour and a half later

The group set their silverware down, having finished yet another four course meal at Lex's table. They had talked about things, getting caught up on everyone's adventures particularly those of Ricardo and Mika.

Once the coffee had been served, Chloe asked, "Okay, Mika, what's going on with this idea of yours?"

The chef looked around the table anxiously.

"It's okay, Honey," Karen reassured her.

"Just relax," Angie added. "Whatever it is, we'll be all right with it."

"It's not that big of a deal," Lex noted. "In fact, I think it'll be a nice collaborative touch from all of us really."

"Collaboration?" Clark wondered.

Mika nodded nervously. "Thanks, Lex. Yes, Clark, actually, we were looking for some holiday ideas for the café. I suggested Thanksgiving and Remy wondered about a turkey recipe."

"I'm willing to chip in the maple turkey recipe," Dave agreed readily.

"There's your Grandmother Alvarez's cornbread stuffing," Karen suggested.

"Don't knock your orange cranberry sauce," her father reminded her.

"Come up with some veggies and it sounds like a great dish," Lex complimented.

"There's that new pumpkin custard you've been playing with, Lana," Clark interjected.

"Pumpkin custard?" Mika asked. She, of course, knew what it was but was surprised that Lana would be dealing with such a delicate dish.

"It's not that big of a deal. Mom and I were experimenting with it last week," Lana dismissed. "You want to try it? I'll make it."

"Maybe you can. There's another part to all of this, guys," Mika told them. "Mr. Ego suggested we do a potluck. They're willing to take the train to London if we can do it there. I figured it would be an easy way to cover ourselves so they don't know about the teleporting thing?"

Angie nodded. "If we do potluck, it won't be as much work on Rivers. Okay, Mika, that sounds great."

"You and I can work together on the turkey," Dave chimed in.

"Collette's willing to work with us too. She has a green bean julienne dish she wants to work on," Mika pointed out. "And Remy will want to see everything."

"Can't keep the genius out, can we?" Lex chuckled. "If we're all agreed, I'll call Ego back and we'll set it up for next week. Sounds great. Now let's pass the coffee and enjoy Mika's visit before she has to go back."

Karen hugged Mika in appreciation. "We're all proud, Sweetie. Hope you don't mind some help."

"I don't mind, Mom. It's great. It's really great," Mika expressed as she felt a big load coming off of her shoulders.


	4. Collaborative Dinner

Chapter 4 A Week Later

Chapter 4 A Week Later

Train—just south of London

Linguini stared out the window at the dark tunnel. While he usually loved trips and his colleagues' innovations, he was admittedly a little nervous about this particular trip. After all, how many times did one eat dinner at _a mansion_?

"Are you all right, _mon Garçon_?" Collette inquired caringly while rubbing his arm.

"Never had dinner at a mansion before, _Cherie_," he admitted.

She nodded, understanding his viewpoint. Recalling how she felt about Mika during the first week, she knew that it would be easy to be put out of sorts by a show of wealth like a mansion or connections to Lex Luthor.

That is if Mika weren't Mika.

"It is a colleague's home, no? We are going to work and play. Look at it like that, _mon Cher. _We contribute to the meal. We learn some new tricks. Everyone is happy, no?" she offered.

Remy nodded from where he sat across from them.

"Yeah I guess. I just wish I could cook better," Linguini sighed.

"I do too. We each have our roles," she indicated. "You are our eyes on the floor. You let us know what is happening. That is very important." She kissed him for emphasis. "Do not underestimate your importance to me and the café."

Seeing Remy nod in affirmation, Linguini relaxed, thinking that this all might work out after all.

Dubois Manor—north of London

Meantime, Mika inspected the food delivery along with Lex and Ego, making sure that the food quality was first rate.

"I trust that everything is in order?" Ego queried.

She nodded. "We have everything that folks have requested. Rivers isn't going to know what to do with us handling the cooking chores though."

"He'll appreciate the night off," Lex assured her. "Meantime, I think we can get this stuff into the kitchen. Your uncle should be ready to start in on that turkey with you pretty soon. I'll go and get him."

After Lex left, she turned to Ego. "_Monsieur Ego_, I wanted to say _merci _for going along with this."

"Why ever would I not? Michelle, have confidence in yourself. We are trying this here and not at the café for a reason, no? I am sure you and your family know what you are doing. Believe in yourself," he reassured her.

"I will," she promised as they headed for the kitchen.

Three hours later—Kitchen

Under her uncle's direction, Mika prepared the turkey with great care, getting the brown sugar and maple syrup glaze just right. Then she stuffed it with the cornbread stuffing she adapted with a few extra touches. "There!"

"Wish I could've done that well on the first try," he told her.

"I'm sure you were okay at it. Besides you had Great Gram helping you," she assured him while sliding the bird into the oven.

At that moment, Rivers stuck his head in. "Master Dubois? Miss Montoya? Your guests have arrived."

"Why don't you go on ahead, Uncle Dave? I'll stay here for a couple of minutes," she offered. "Just to make sure the turkey's going okay."

"Sure. Just don't be too long, all right?" he conceded before heading out.

She performed one last check on the salad and the thickening pumpkin custard in the fridge. "Okay. Let's go." With that, she headed out.

Front Door

Linguini's jaw dropped at the sight of the mansion. "Her aunt owns this place?"

"Fortunately it has not gone to her head," Collette critiqued as they got out of the limo and headed for the front door. Not one to really stand on ceremony, she rapped loudly on the door.

Rivers opened the door. "Ah, _Bon jour, mes Ami! Monsieur Linguini et Madamoiselle Tatou, no?"_

"_Oui," _she replied as they walked into the front hall. "This is the Dubois manor, no?"

"It is," the butler replied. "I am Rivers. Can I take your coats? If I can get these hung up, we can join the others." He took their coats and hats before nearly jumping at the sight of Remy. "My word!"

"He is fine," she assured him.

The butler nodded, recalling what Mika had told him. _"C'est Remy, no?"_

"He is our friend. Sorry to have startled you," Linguini apologized sheepishly.

"I owe you the apology, my friends," Rivers noted before leading them into the parlor area. There he announced, "Mssrs. Remy and Linguini in addition to Mme. Tatou."

"_Bienvenue, mes Ami," _Angie greeted as they shook hands. "I trust it was a good trip from Paris?"

"It was," Collette indicated. "This is an impressive place you have here. Quite the addition, no?"

"It was my grandfather's," Angie indicated. "Would you care for some coffee? Dave and Michelle will be here in a minute. They're in the kitchen dealing with the turkey."

"They've been working very hard," Lex added dryly from where he sat off to the side with Ego.

"Knowing Michelle, I'm not surprised," Collette complimented. "I look forward to what she comes up with. The same goes for all of you."

"I think you will be very pleasantly surprised indeed," Ego presumed. "The delivery truck's contents were quite exquisite." He added a sip from his wine glass for emphasis.

"As if Michelle would put up with anything else? The girl has a good sense of taste," Collette complimented while sampling her coffee. "This is very good. _Merci beaucoup._"

"Straight from your city," Dave told them while entering the area. "I'm sure Angie's already welcomed you but welcome once again." He shook hands with each of the three newcomers. "Mika's running some last minute checks. She'll be here in a minute."

On cue, the resident chef rushed into the room. _"Bon jour, _guys!" She hugged her friends in greeting.

"You have been busy, no?" Collette presumed.

"You know me. All work, no play. Blah, blah, blah," Mika retorted half-seriously.

"This is some place, Mika," Linguini assessed almost in awe.

"It's awesome, isn't it? I'm grateful to Auntie Angie and Uncle Dave for letting us do this here," Mika concurred.

"Anything to help family," Angie assured her niece. "Now let's relax before dinner. Shall we?"

After dinner

The group ate well on a proto-Thanksgiving feast encompassing the turkey, Mika's orange-cranberry sauce, Karen's stuffing, a green bean julienne dish whipped up by Remy and Collette, Lana's pumpkin custard pie and mulled apple cider.

For the Americans, the dinner provided a link to times long past, recalling their deceased loved ones as well as the earliest affairs in which they met and forged connections.

For the café staff, they marveled once again at Mika's cooking heritage. While they knew she could and did innovate on her own, the chefs and Ego admired how her relatives came together to support her in her career.

With a few twists, it was decided that the Thanksgiving feast would be a hit at the café.

Ego leaned back in his chair with a satisfied smile on his face. "A very unique taste indeed for an American tradition. One I have not had in some time." He dabbed his face delicately with a napkin and set it back down in its place.

"Glad you liked it, sir," Mika accepted on behalf of her family.

"The presentation will be a challenge but I think we and _noster Chef _can deal with that. This will be a great meal, Michelle," Collette assessed positively.

"If we can do the cider too, that'll be a nice touch," Linguini commented.

Lex smiled and leaned back in his chair while glancing at Dave and then at Karen. "Kind of takes me back, you know?"

"What?" Mika wondered.

"It's okay," Dave reassured her. "Lex is thinking about the Thanksgiving he and his mother came to visit."

"Junior year," Karen recalled. "Less than a month before your suicide march into Smallville."

"The big thing though was sitting in your grandmother's kitchen and recalling these smells. Karen, your mother sent the stuffing over, remember?" Lex indicated.

"I remember. Lex, your mother was a gem. I'll never forget her," Karen assessed while wiping a tear from her eye.

"Amen to that," Dave chimed in while taking a deep breath.

"It is memories such as those which add to the dish, no? We enjoy them with you and add to them in our own way," Collette assured them all.

Mika beamed at her new associates with relief for accepting her heritage with such open arms. She turned to each member of her family, letting her eyes shine into each one of theirs. "I am grateful that my family is so giving of their recipes for us."

Her mother spoke for the others around the table. "For you, Mika, it's our pleasure." She gave her daughter a hug.

There wasn't a dry eye in the house at that moment—not human nor rat.

And that wasn't such a bad thing…..


	5. Mika meets Gusteau

Chapter 5 Night Before Thanksgiving

Chapter 5 Night Before Thanksgiving

A/N: Mika's about to make a discovery

Remy sat on the café's back steps munching on his cheese and fruit and mulling over the next day's meals. With Collette and Mika working all of the angles with the delivery guys, the cooler overflowed with supplies for the next day's onslaught. _It's good to be set. Let's hope it works!_

_But of course it will work, Remy! One must have faith, no? _

Remy grinned as Gusteau appeared before him. "Tomorrow's going to be something else. Think about the creativity! You should have been at the manor!"

The spirit chuckled warmly. "Ah but I was. Your _protégé _excels at our craft, does she not? She combines tradition with creativity. She may not fit in readily but she earns her place. It sounds familiar."

"The kid knows her way around a kitchen. That's for sure and…." Remy started before feeling his friend's presence. "Mika?"

"Remy? Who is….?" she asked before getting a good look at the spirit. "Wait! That matches the picture. Chef Gusteau?"

"You can see me?" Gusteau asked in surprise.

"She has a link with me. Yes, Mika, it's him," Remy explained, trying to talk with both of them.

She stared at the spirit in awe. "This is an honor, sir! I've only been reading your cookbooks since I was twelve!"

"I know. You are quite the cook yourself, Michelle. _Merci _for helping to bring back our fourth and fifth stars. Do not underestimate yourself," Gusteau complimented.

"Thanks. I…try. Working with Remy, Collette and your son is a pleasure. They make it great. Speaking of Linguini, you should see him run the dining room!" she noted.

Gusteau smiled warmly. "You are too kind, Michelle. Work hard and good things will come, no? Have faith," Gusteau concluded before disappearing.

She sat down on the stairs and shook her head. "Wow!"

Remy hopped up on her shoulder. "Hey! We're going to be okay! See what kind of help we have? We work hard and tomorrow we'll be fine."

Mika took a deep breath and nodded. "I know. You know me. Big worrywart and all."

The tiny chef rubbed her arm with his paw reassuringly. Maybe she was nervous but he knew exactly what was coming.

If they could survive the wave, the reviews were going to be a hit…..


	6. Good reviews and a challenge

Conclusion Three Days Later—La Ratatouille

Conclusion Three Days Later—La Ratatouille

Thanksgiving weekend came and went with a flourish for the café. Far from being a risk, the "American dinner" brought out a line stretching a good five hundred yards out of the front door. Happy faces admired the combined effort; their bellies appreciating the diverse tastes touching their palates. Celine le Claire and the other critics clearly enjoyed the unique occasions, toasting it in their reviews.

The occasion gave the staff yet another opportunity to collaborate. With Mika laying the groundwork, Remy and Collette added flourishes and twists adding further appeal to their Parisian audience.

As predicted, the wave was higher and fiercer than normal. However, they rode it out together to mutual rewards.

"What a weekend!" Mika sighed while collapsing into a chair in the dining room.

"And you are surprised? Our customers loved the American touch. Your family's recipes are a hit, Michelle, are they not? You should be more confident," Collette reassured her.

"They loved their meals out in the dining room," Linguini chimed in.

"Remember what Gusteau said, Mika. Confidence, Kid. Confidence," Remy reminded her.

"I guess I should be happy at our effort," the youngest chef conceded. "And that I am on the best culinary team in Paris."

"And I'd say in France," Ego interjected while walking up to the table. _"Bon soir, mes Ami." _He put a copy of _Le Monde _down in front of them and opened it to the review. "The critics have spoken! They loved it!"

The three chefs and head waiter all skimmed the review. Upon seeing what it said, they felt themselves relax. Their efforts had been recognized.

More daunting, the writers wanted to see what they'd whip up for Christmas next….

Ego smiled. "You all continue to surpass my expectations. We will have to think of something unique for the occasion. No?"

"We'll have something ready. Count on that!" Collette asserted enthusiastically while bringing her fist down on the table.

Mika and Remy exchanged knowing looks. They knew the collaborative juices were already at work in the café again. Within the next few weeks, another new creation would storm its way onto the Paris scene to woo patrons' hearts and stomachs once more.

"You're quiet, Michelle," Ego pointed out.

"Collette said it all, _Monsieur Ego_. I know we'll come up with something," Mika replied confidently.

"Better, Kid. Much better," Remy noted while giving them all his best imitation of a thumbs up.

The benefactor leaned back in his chair and took a long thoughtful sip from his latte. As he had suspected, the friendly challenge would not prove all that difficult for these chefs. Not that difficult at all.

And so, as the City of Lights turned its attention from the falling leaves toward the coming snows, festive décor and the _Joyeux Noel_, the creative café carried on in its endeavors, balancing the traditional and innovative—the links of family whether by blood, choice or employ.

The inspiration that carried La Ratatouille to a successful Thanksgiving would create a Christmas season to be remembered…for more reasons than one.

THE END (for now)


End file.
